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Pricepally Food News #2
Welcome to this week’s edition of our bi-weekly food news for the latest on prices, availability and happenings in the food market both locally and globally.
Yams are expensive and have increased by up to ₦500, but new yams should be in a couple of months and prices will return to normal.
Vegetables like Efo-shoko, Tete, Gbure etc., are in season and are cheap.
The Issues over the open grazing ban by governors of the south and may likely cause an increase in the price of beef.
Nigeria Takes Advantage of Biotechnology.
A few African countries have begun to take advantage of agricultural biotechnology to overcome crop production challenges. The last country reported to have done so is Nigeria where more than 2000 farmers are ready to grow genetically modified cowpea this year, according to the digital publication, Cornell Alliance for Science, dated May 5, 2021.
Gombe Trains Famers on Weather Forecast, Cropping guide and Animal Husbandry.
The seminar was organised by the state ministry of agriculture and animal husbandry. The Gombe State Government has scheduled a conference to train farmers in the state on the weather forecast, cropping guide and modern farming techniques ahead of the 2021 wet season. The seminar conducted by the state ministry of agriculture and animal husbandry was aimed at equipping them in the face of climate change and global warming.
Unity Bank to Extend Funding to 120,000 Maize Farmers.
Abuja had the slowest rise in prices on a month-on-month food basis. Prices of food items rose the most in Kebbi, Ekiti and Kano in April, the consumer price index (CPI) report released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown. The report revealed that on a month-on-month basis, food price inflation was highest in Kebbi at 2.46%, Ekiti at 2.42%, and Kano at 2.17%.
The local Ban on Ugandan Maize has been lifted.
There is a sigh of relief among traders after Kenya lifted the ban on the importation of maize. More than 100 trucks carrying about 1,200 tonnes of maize from Busia, Uganda, spontaneously crossed into Kenya on Monday. The lift marks the resumption of the multibillion trade between Uganda and Kenya, a major trading partner on the East African bloc. The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) of Kenya on March 5 banned the importation of maize from Uganda and Tanzania over safety standards, saying the cereal had aflatoxins and posed a health risk to consumers.
The Horn of Africa Faces Fresh Food Shortage.
The Horn of Africa region is staring at food shortages after the delayed start of the long rains in some countries and below-average rainfall in others. The UN and the government of Somalia have jointly declared drought in the country after officials determined that 80 per cent of Somalia had received little rainfall. Usually, much of the Horn considers March to May as a planting season. However, projections by the Famine Early Warnings Systems Network and the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and the Red Crescent Societies indicate that the situation is likely to get worse as we get into May down to September if the weather situation does not change.
And that’s all for this week’s edition.
Check out our previous news here
Don’t forget to shop for the best quality of food items at the best prices on pricepally.com.


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Backward compatibility is a fantastic feature for the Xbox One family of consoles, but it isn’t perfect. Games like Halo Reach and Banjo and Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts have suffered from problems in the past such as performance; some games have stopped working altogether.
One of these broken games was the fantastic Rockstar racing game Midnight Club LA which recently stopped working on Xbox One.
While other games are still broken, Mightnight Club: LA has been completely fixed. Owners of the game, both physically and digitally, will have to download a new update for the game to work. The fix was announced by the head of the Xbox Preview Program on Reddit.
Are you having any issues with backward compatible titles? Tell us in the comments below!

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Wednesday April 3rd, 2013 - 3:16PM
ASHEVILLE, NC—Patton Hospitality Management has launched VacationCondos.com, a website offering a range of resort rental options.
The website’s properties feature in-unit washers and dryers and fully equipped kitchens, designed to appeal to families and the budget-minded traveler, according to the company.
Resort locations include Paradise Island Harbour Club and Marina in the Bahamas; Rangeley Lake Resort in Maine; Biltmore Village in Asheville, NC; Church Street Inn in Charleston, SC; Blue Heron Beach Resort in Orlando, FL; and the Frenchman Orleans in New Orleans, among others.
The website offers flexible booking dates and highlights seasonal offers. According to the company, those who register to receive specials through the site can expect savings of up to 50% off retail pricing in popular U.S. and Caribbean destinations.


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Shares in Netflix slumped 20pc in pre-market trading after the streaming giant’s subscriber growth lost its lockdown lustre.
The company expects to add just 2.5m users this quarter in what would be its slowest start to the year in at least a decade. If the losses hold, it will also be Netflix’s biggest share drop in almost 10 years.
The figures suggest Netflix is struggling to keep up momentum after a stellar performance fuelled by lockdown.
The sluggish growth came despite the success of hit South Korean series Squid Game, which was watched by around 142m subscribers in its first month.
Another Friday, another week over for the live blog. But we will see you next Monday! Before you go, have a look at our latest stories:
Australian plan to make hydrogen using coal and ship it to Japan comes under fire
A plan to make liquid hydrogen from brown coal in Australia and ship it across the Pacific has been criticised as “way worse” than burning diesel or natural gas. Howard Mustoe has more:
A new liquid hydrogen tanker is due to carry the first shipment of the gas, heralded as zero-carbon fuel, from Australia to Japan, which is increasingly using it in a bid to decarbonise its economy.
While the company behind the plan insists that future shipments will benefit from carbon capture, where CO2 is pumped underground, the first batch was made through a process that releases carbon dioxide into the air.
Brown coal produces almost double the carbon dioxide per unit of energy than natural gas and a third more than diesel.
FTSE 100 drops as disappointing retail sales add to market woes
The FTSE 100 closed 1.2pc lower at 7,494 as disappointing retail sales figures piled on investors’ existing concerns.
Danni Hewson at AJ Bell commented: “Thank goodness it’s Friday. In fact, I imagine there will be more than a few investors inserting the usual expletive into that well-worn phrase when you consider how markets have performed today.
“Only 11 stocks on London’s blue-chip index managed to end the day in positive territory and most of those were only just clinging on by their fingernails. Today has been something of a rout, with inflation woes, disappointing trading updates, geopolitical unrest and a falling oil price all delivering their own unique brand of pain.
“Both Unilever and the previous target of its affections, GlaxoSmithKline, made small gains but not enough to recover from the week’s thorny embrace. Burberry continued to tease out investors eyeing a potential life to Chinese consumer confidence following this week’s rate cut decision and over on the FTSE 250 Premier Food’s was still capturing attention following its impressive trading update, and let’s be honest when life gets tough, cake can’t hurt.”
Photo-Me boss launches management takeover
Photo booth owner and laundry equipment firm Photo-Me has received a takeover offer from its chief executive as part of a management buyout.
Serge Crasnianski launched a mandatory £283.5m bid for the company via his Tibergest business, set up for the deal. The company agreed to buy 29.1m shares from the Dan David Foundation last week, taking its stake in Photo-Me to 37pc – triggering a mandatory offer under takeover rules.
Photo-Me told shareholders to take no action while an independent committee considers the offer. Tibergest said it does not plan to make any changes to the business or broader strategic plans.
Photo-Me has struggled during the pandemic but has started seeing improvements.
Court orders Lekoil to pay former chief executive’s legal bills
London-listed oil company Lekoil has been told to pay £85,550 to its estranged former chief executive to cover his costs in a UK court case.
The company had been trying to claw back approximately $1.5m (£1.1m) from Olalekan Akinyanmi, whom the business is named after.
He took out a loan from the business several years ago but was ousted last year for not paying the loan back. But the English court said it did not have jurisdiction and ordered Lekoil to cover Mr Akinyanmi’s costs.
Lekoil was the company at the centre of a fraud case two years ago when it was conned into thinking that Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund would lend it $180m (£133m).
Activision employees ask company to formally recognise new union
Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard will come with an unexpected addition: a small group of unionised workers.
The Game Workers Alliance Union would be the first union at a publicly traded video game publisher.
The group is composed of 34 quality assurance testers at the Raven Software arm, a team responsible for ensuring new content for Call of Duty games runs smoothly and without errors. It’s part of the Communications Workers of America, the largest union in the media industry.
For years, people from across the video game industry have proposed organising as a solution to unhealthy work environments. Burnout is a prevalent issue in gaming, brought on by a culture of overwork, sexism and little job security. Employers have not embraced workers’ flirtations with unionising, but last month, employees of a small independent studio called Vodeo Games became the first to organize in North America.
Prince William to visit UAE next month
Prince William will visit the United Arab Emirates next month as Britain seeks to step up its relationship with the Gulf state.
The Duke of Cambridge will fly to Dubai on Feb. 10. The UAE marks its 50th year, which coincides with UK National Day being held at Expo 2020 Dubai.
“The bond between the UK and the UAE is deep and strong and Prince William’s visit will highlight and build upon these links as he has the opportunity to engage with young Emiratis, leaders from government and committed conservationists,” Kensington Palace said.
Britain has been looking to the Gulf countries for trade deals as part of its post-Brexit strategy to build new ties around the world.
Food delivery software firm Deliverect could reach €1.2bn in latest founding round
Deliverect, a Belgian software firm that simplifies online food delivery, is in talks with investors to raise €150, which would value it at €1.2bn (£1bn), Bloomberg reported.
Founded in 2018, Deliverect provides software that helps restaurants manage their online sales. It connects popular food delivery companies such as Deliveroo, DoorDash, Just Eat and Uber Eats directly to restaurants’ order systems.
The online food delivery sector has been one of the few that’s flourished during the Covid-19 pandemic, as restaurants stayed shut and people grew tired of cooking at home. While a boost for restaurants, the vast increase in orders has put pressure on existing systems for managing these requests.
That’s all from me thanks for following this week! Giulia Bottaro will take over for the rest of the day.
Industry groups sound the alarm over energy crisis
British businesses have banded together in an urgent warning to the Chancellor, saying the surge in energy prices would “act as a brake on the recovery”.
The BBC reports that the lobby groups call for urgent action to ease the pressure on firms as well as households.
They say companies will have little choice but to pass on higher costs to consumers, leading to further inflation of consumer prices.
Peloton plans job cuts but denies pausing production
It seems Netflix isn’t the only pandemic darling having difficulties today, as my colleague Laura Onita reports:
Peloton confirmed it was considering job cuts as its chief executive denied the company was halting production of its pricey bikes and treadmills.
The former pandemic darling said it will review the structure and size of its workforce and “right-size” the production of its internet-connected products following a report on Thursday that said it was planning a temporarily production pause.
John Foley, chief executive and co-founder, told employees “rumors that we are halting all production of bikes and treads are false” and it identified a “leaker” and “it was moving forward with the appropriate legal action”.
He said the information was “incomplete, out of context, and not reflective of Peloton’s strategy”.
The CNBC report sent shares down as much as 27pc before regaining some ground, wiping off nearly $2.5bn (£1.8bn) in market value. They rose 6pc in New York on Friday.
Antonio Horta-Osorio attended Euros final as well as Wimbledon
Sir Antonio Horta-Osorio, the former Lloyds chief and Credit Suisse chairman, attended the “super-spreader” European Championship football final last summer when he should have been in quarantine, it has emerged.
Lucy Burton reports:
The banker stood down from the Swiss bank this week following an investigation that found he broke quarantine regulations last summer when visiting London to watch the Wimbledon final.
It has now emerged that Sir Antonio went from the tennis in Wimbledon to the football in Wembley on the same day.
More than 5,000 people caught Covid at the Euros final and semi-finals last summer, with health officials saying the “super-spreader” events showed how quickly the virus could spread.
Those close to Sir Antonio said the football was a client event but a number of invited guests dropped out at short notice and so he took his children instead. One client still attended with his wife and her parents, sources said.
Davos 2022 meeting to go ahead in May
The World Economic Forum is aiming to hold its famous Davos meeting in the Swiss mountain resort from 22 to 26 May.
The organisation had postponed the event, due to take place in January, last month amid the spread of the omicron variant. A number of virtual meetings have taken place instead.
But the WEF seems determined to press ahead with an in-person meeting of global business and political leaders in May.
It said it would coordinate with the Swiss government about the Covid situation and that it would go ahead as long as conditions were in place to protect the health of participants and the local community.
WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab said:
After all the virtual meetings taking place in the last two years, leaders from politics, business and civil society have to convene finally in person again.
We need to establish the atmosphere of trust that is truly needed to accelerate collaborative action and to address the multiple challenges we face.
Netflix crashes 24pc
It’s confirmed – Netflix has plummeted 24pc as markets opened as investors digested its disappointed subscriber numbers.
The streaming service plunged to $388 amid concerns the Squid Game maker’s pandemic boom had finally run out of steam.
The decline is its worst daily fall for nine years, and put the Nasdaq on track for its worst week since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.
Wall Street opens lower as Netflix disappoints
Wall Street’s main indices have opened lower following lacklustre results from Netflix, putting them on track for a third week of declines.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the falls, dropping 0.8pc. The S&P 500 fell 0.3pc, while the Dow Jones was down 0.2pc.
Inflation will be ‘stronger for longer’ without action, says BoE’s Man
Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann has hinted she’s ready to vote for further interest rate rises, warning inflation could stay “stronger for longer” without an intervention.
In a speech this afternoon Ms Mann said she was worried about a wage-price spiral, adding that the Bank was responsible for tempering expectations of those increases. She also suggested that decisive action now could reduce the pace of further tightening needed in the future.
The comments come ahead of next month’s meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee. With inflation hitting its highest since 1992, markets are pricing in a 25 basis-point increase in interest rates.
Ms Mann said she would make her decision about her vote in February only after reviewing the Bank’s latest forecasts.
Energy and power prices rebound as Ukraine tensions mount
European energy prices rebounded amid fresh concerns over natural gas supplies as tensions between Russia and Ukraine mount.
Benchmark gas prices jumped as much as 9.7pc, tracking a rise in prices in Asia, where colder weather has set in. The UK equivalent gained 7.5pc.
The West has stepped up warnings to Moscow that any aggression against Ukraine would trigger a serious response.
Any retaliation could potentially impact Russian exports to Europe, as well as the recently-completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Now not the time for tax rises, says LSE’s Shafik
The Government shouldn’t be raising taxes or cutting spending but investing in the economy to boost growth, former Bank of England Deputy Governor Minouche Shafik has said.
Ms Shafik, who is now director of the London School of Economics, told Bloomberg it was still too early “to look at spending cuts and tax rises”.
She said: “The government shouldn’t withdraw economic stimulus prematurely. This is a moment for investment. The best way to get out of a debt burden is to grow.”
The economist added that the government’s “immediate challenge” was to provide economic support to help households, particularly the poorest, through the looming cost of living crisis.
BrewDog boss accused of trying to silence ex-staff over BBC documentary
The boss of controversial beer brand BrewDog has been accused of trying to intimidate former employees who are due to appear in a damning BBC documentary about the company’s working culture.
The exposé will delve into accusations of a “culture of fear” at the brand, for which it apologised last year.
But chief executive James Watt appeared to warn sources who gave evidence to the BBC that their identities could be exposed, insisting that “all of this is very, very likely to end up in court”, according to a report in the Guardian.
He warned a court could force the BBC to reveal its sources and told former staff it was “not too late to withdraw your consent”.
Bryan Simpson at the Unite union said: “Any attempt to intimidate current and former workers taking a stand on systemic mistreatment will not be tolerated.”
Czech billionaire who wants to run National Lottery snubs London for $9bn float
The Czech oligarch behind one of the two favourites to run the National Lottery has snubbed Britain for the float of his gambling empire in favour of America.
Oliver Gill has more:
Karel Komarek has opted for a New York listing of Sazka in a deal worth more than $9bn (£7bn), it was announced on Friday.
Sazka will merge with “blank cheque” investment company Cohn Robbins, having previously explored a London float.
The move comes with the selection of the next National Lottery operator on a knife-edge. Mr Komarek’s Sazka, also known as Allwyn, has provided arguably the biggest challenge to incumbent Camelot in the UK draw’s 28-year history.
The two operators want to win the licence to run the National Lottery for up to a decade from 2024. Camelot has done so since its inception in 1994.
The Gambling Commission is expected to finalise the winning bidder in the coming weeks.
Wall Street set to follow FTSE into the red
US stocks are set to follow the FTSE into the red when markets open this afternoon, with the focus on mixed company earnings and interest rate rises.
Futures tracking the S&P 500 and Dow Jones fell 0.4pc and 0.2pc respectively, while the Nasdaq slid 0.8pc.
Traders are bracing for a tightening of monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, which is set to make its decision on interest rates next week.
Disappointing corporate results also soured the mood, with Netflix plunging 20pc in pre-market trading after it reported a sharp slowdown in subscriber growth.
BAE mulls sale of fraud detection business
Defence giant BAE is said to be considering a sale of its NetReveal business, which helps companies detect financial crime and fraud.
The London-listed company has tapped advisers at Lazard to advise on a potential deal, Bloomberg reports.
BAE acquired NetReveal in 2008 as part of its takeover of Detica Group, whose software supported Ministry of Defence counterterrorism operations and tax-fraud detection by the US Internal Revenue Service.
Those activities became part of BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, while NetReveal provides fraud detection, risk management and data analytics to banking, financial markets and insurance clients.
Channel 4 strikes deal to air Formula E
Channel 4 has inked a multi-year deal to broadcast the Formula E World Championship from this season.
Every race in this year’s biggest-ever 16-race calendar will be aired live on Channel 4 and All4, as well as on the broadcaster’s YouTube channel, it said.
The coverage will be fronted by Vernon Kay, Nicki Shields, Dario Franchitti and Jack Nicholls.
Pete Andrews, Channel 4’s head of sport, said:
Formula E is a fantastically exciting sport and this deal is wonderful news for sports fans. We’re proud to be showcasing a sport with sustainability at its heart and one that plays such an important role in seeking to combat the climate crisis.
Bitcoin falls to five-month low amid crypto sell-off
Bitcoin has dropped below $39,000 to its lowest level in five months amid a protracted sell-off in cryptocurrencies.
The world’s largest digital coin tumbled 5.6pc in its third day of losses. Other cryptocurrencies including Ether were also in the red as investors offloaded risky assets.
It’s been a troubled start to the week for Bitcion, which has dropped around 40pc from its peak in November.
Cryptocurrencies, which are notoriously volatile, have suffered especially in recent days against a wider tech selloff, rising regulatory threats and concerns around tightening US monetary policy.
Airbus workers to vote on strike action
Airbus workers at a wing-assembly factory in Wales are set to vote on strike action after rejecting a pay offer.
The aircraft maker said it’s in discussions with the Unite union to try and avoid industrial action. The factory employs around 4,000 staff – 2,000 fewer than it did in 2020.
It comes as Airbus also faces the threat of walkouts in Germany over plans to spin off a parts division.
The company slashes its workforce during the pandemic, but is now preparing to step up production of its single-aisle aircraft and plans to hire 6,000 new staff members in the first part of this year.
Get back to the office, Kwasi Kwarteng tells Brits
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has told Brits to get back to the office to benefit from in-person collaboration as the world learns to live with Covid.
He told LBC: “We should get back to work. We’ve got to get back to some degree of normality.
“People working in the office do get benefits from working with colleagues, being able to interact directly with them and I want to get back to a sense that, you know, that the pandemic is turning from a pandemic into an endemic.”
Boris Johnson has announced the easing of Plan B measures – which include a work from home order – from next week as part of efforts to learn to live with the virus much like other illnesses such as the flu.
Mr Kwarteng added: “It’s something we have to live with. And if we are going to live with it, I think the sooner we get back to the pre-Covid world the better in terms of workplace practices.”
Firms have begun to call staff back into the office, with Barclays the latest to tell its workers to come back in.
The Business Secretary said he was trying to increase the number of people working back in Government departments.
Expert reaction: No sign of cost-of-living crisis yet
Nicky Stevenson at estate agent group Fine & Country says there are no signs the cost-of-living crisis is hurting the housing market just yet.
Sales continued to strengthen at the tail end of last year following a brief respite in the autumn with the unwinding of the Chancellor’s stamp duty holiday.
The month-on-month growth in transactions comes despite the current supply of housing stock remaining at rock bottom levels. As new listings come on stream in 2022, there is every expectation that we may see sales volumes running at elevated levels going into the spring.
So far there is no sign that cost of living pressures are having a knock-on effect on buyers’ appetite though as monetary policy tightens the effects on affordability may become more acute.
A deft balancing act is required by policymakers as they look to tame inflation while continuing to support the economic recovery.
Property sales surge to post-crisis high
Property sales last year hit their busiest level since the financial crisis amid a seismic shift in buyer priorities during the pandemic, writes Rachel Mortimer.
There were close to 1,500,000 residential transactions in 2021, the most recorded by HM Revenue & Customs since 2007.
Sales surged ahead of multiple stamp duty deadlines in the year as buyers scrambled to make the most of tax savings. Huge demand continued long after the tax break ended in September, with purchasers still desperate for a permanent move to more space and greener surroundings.
Despite sales surging to pre-financial crisis heights, Anthony Codling, of property website Twindig, said last year’s activity would not be followed by a crash.
“The global pandemic is certainly very different from the global financial crisis and we would not expect housing transactions to fall off a cliff this year.
“Interestingly the 100,110 housing transactions in December was almost identical to the level of housing transactions before the pandemic broke. We hope this is a good omen for more normal times in the year ahead,” he added.
Oil prices cool after surge to seven-year high
Oil dropped alongside shares this morning as a recent rally that drove prices to a seven-year high finally ran out of steam.
West Texas Intermediate fell more than 3pc, before paring losses to trade near $84 a barrel. Brent crude fell 1.5pc to just over $87.
Despite the fall, the overall sentiment remains bullish, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs forecasting $100 a barrel later this year. The International Energy Agency this week said the oil market was looking tighter than previously thought, with demand proving resilient despite the rapid spread of the omicron variant.
Energy giants pull out of Myanmar over human rights abuses
Energy giants TotalEnergies and Chevron have both pulled out of Myanmar in quick succession over “worsening” human rights abuses in the country.
Pressure is growing from shareholders and non-governmental groups for companies to cut ties with the Asian nation, which has been plunged into turmoil following a coup led by army chief Min Aung Hlaing.
Total said: “The situation, in terms of human rights and more generally the rule of law, which have kept worsening in Myanmar since the coup of February 2021, has led us to reassess the situation and no longer allows TotalEnergies to make a sufficiently positive contribution in the country.”
Shortly afterwards, US rival Chevron said it had “reviewed our interest in the Yadana natural gas project to enable a planned and orderly transition that will lead to an exit from the country”.
Last year the two companies suspended cash distribution by a joint venture that counts a Myanmar state-owned company as a shareholder.
London Metal Exchange boss to step down
The chief executive of the London Metal Exchange is stepping down after more than nine years with the business.
Matthew Chamberlain will leave the 145-year-old open-outcry trading floor at the end of April, parent company Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing said.
Adrian Farnham will take over as interim chief executive, with the board kicking off a formal search for Mr Chamberlain’s successor.
Jim Ratcliffe and Centrica back new hydrogen plant on the Humber
A planned new hydrogen plant on the northside of the Humber has secured backing from a raft of companies including Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s chemicals empire Ineos and British Gas owner Centrica.
Rachel Millard has more:
Equinor, the Norwegian state-owned energy company, has struck agreements with six companies to explore using hydrogen from its plant due to be built in Saltend at the Port of Hull in Yorkshire.
Equinor hopes to get the 600-megawatt plant up and running by 2026-27, making hydrogen from natural gas with the carbon emissions from production captured and stashed under the North Sea.
The company is part of the East Coast Cluster, a group of industrial companies around Hull and Middlesbrough which has been prioritised by the Government for support to develop carbon capture networks.
Barclays calls staff back to the office
Barclays has become the latest City firm to join the back-to-work push, asking its staff in England to return to the office from next week.
In an email to staff seen by the Telegraph, the bank said it would resume the hybrid working patterns it had in place in early December from Monday 24 January.
It’s understood the exact numbers of days staff are expected back in the office varies from role to role, with employees making arrangements with their line managers.
However, it seems Barclays is gearing up for some form of flexible working arrangement in the long term.
The email read: “As we look to the future, we believe that hybrid working is creating opportunities for the way we work – combining the best of being together with the flexibility and focus that we’ve all experienced working from home.
“As we learn more about how to maximise the benefits of hybrid working, we will adapt and evolve our approach.”
Netflix and Peloton suffer end-of-lockdown shock
While the pandemic isn’t over yet, the latest figures from Netflix and Peloton suggest the lockdown boom may just be.
The companies – two of the biggest winners in the stay-at-home era – both plunged last night as investors baulked at their disappointing results.
Netflix said it expects to add just 2.5m users in the current quarter – well short of estimates. Meanwhile, Peloton said it’s cutting jobs as it looks to keep costs down amid slowing demand for its exercise bikes.
Shares in Netflix are down 21pc in pre-market trading today. If the losses hold, it would mark its biggest drop in almost a decade. Peloton is up 8pc in pre-market trading after crashing 24pc on Thursday.
They’re not the first companies to suffer as the lockdown shine wears off. Zoom is trading at its lowest since May 2020, as is e-signature firm DocuSign.
Traditional media companies that have moved into streaming – including Disney – are also trading down.
Gas prices waver amid Ukraine war fears
Natural gas prices fluctuated this morning as traders weigh up higher supplies from China against the mounting threat of war between Russia and Ukraine.
Benchmark European prices swung between gains and losses as top US and European officials warned Moscow that any aggression against Ukraine would trigger a robust response.
US President Joe Biden said Russia would “pay a heavy price” if it moves its forces across the border.
The potential conflict – and its impact on Russian gas exports to Europe – has contributed to volatile prices in recent weeks.
There is some optimism in the near term, however, with milder weather forecasts and a surge of liquified natural gas arrivals from countries including China helping to ease the pressure on prices.
Intel to spend £15bn on world’s largest chip hub
Intel reportedly plans to spend $20bn (£15bn) on a chipmaking hub in Ohio, which it expects to be the world’s largest silicon manufacturing site.
The chipmaker will begin construction of two factories on a 1,000-acre site in New Albany, which it expects to be operational by 2025, according to reports.
Chief executive Pat Gelsinger told Time magazine will use the location as a hub to research, develop and manufacture its most advanced chips and will have the option to expand to 2,000 acres and up to eight factories.
He said: “We helped to establish the Silicon Valley. Now we’re going to do the Silicon Heartland.”
Pound slumps after retail sales miss
Sterling has fallen sharply against the dollar after new figures showed retail sales slumped amid Plan B restrictions in December.
The pound fell 0.4pc against the dollar to $1.3568. Against the euro, it was up 0.4pc at 83.54p.
The disappointing retail sales will be compounded by fears of squeezed household budgets in the year ahead, as surging inflation and tax rises take their toll.
Traders are also gearing up for an interest rate rise at the Bank of England meeting next month.
ING economist James Smith said: “December’s UK retail sales plunge looks a lot like a post-Black Friday pullback, even if omicron has had some effect too. Still, the outlook for retail this year looks tricky, as the ongoing rotation back to services continues and disposable incomes are squeezed.
“All in, these latest figures are unlikely to move the needle much for the Bank of England, which looks poised to hike rates again in February.”
Rio Tinto slides as Serbia pulls plug on £1.8bn lithium mine
It’s not a good morning for miners. In addition to BHP exiting the FTSE, Rio Tino has also been dealt a blow.
Shares in the company tumbled more than 4pc after Serbia revoked its lithium exploration licences over environmental concerns.
The decision to block the $2.4n (£1.8bn) Jadar lithium mine, which was due to start production in 2027, is a major blow to Rio’s ambitions to become one of the world’s 10 largest producers of lithium – a key ingredient in batteries.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said the decision came after requests by various green groups. Last year, thousands of people blocked roads in protest against the Government’s support for the project.
FTSE risers and fallers
The FTSE 100 has slumped more than 1pc, pulled down by miners and lacklustre retail sales figures.
BHP was among the biggest losers, dropping as much as 3pc after shareholders voted to delist it from the FTSE in favour of a main listing in Sydney. This sparked losses for other miners including Evraz, Rio Tinto, Fresnillo and Anglo American.
Retail stocks lost 1.4pc on the back of ONS figures that showed Plan B sparked a 3.7pc fall in retail sales in December.
Expectations of a Bank of England interest rate rise added to the negative sentiment.
The domestically-focused FTSE 250 dropped 1.3pc, with Playtech the biggest faller after Eddie Jordan pulled a potential takeover offer.
Playtech slumps as Eddie Jordan pulls out of takeover
Playtech shares have tumbled as much as 14pc in early trading after Eddie Jordan pulled out of a takeover race.
JKO Play, led by the former Formula One boss and gambling executive Keith O’Loughlin, had until 26 January to either announce a firm intention to make an offer or pull out.
JKO confirmed this morning it was pulling out, leaving Aristocrat as the sole bidder.
Wagamama owner lifts forecasts on pre-omicron sales boost
The company behind Wagamama has lifted its expectations for the full year as a pre-omicron sales boost helped offset a sluggish December.
The Restaurant Group, which also owns Frankie & Benny’s, said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation will come in at the top end of previous forecasts of between £73m and £79m. It added that net debt would be less than £180m – an improvement on previous guidance of less than £190m.
In came after Wagamama posted like-for-like sales growth of 11pc and 18pc in October and November respectively, before the impact of omicron and Plan B measures set in.
The Restaurant Group warned consumer confidence may take a while to recover, even after the easing of Plan B restrictions. It also said trading at travel hubs would continue to be affected by restrictions.
Still, the company said it was confident in its prospects for the coming year. Shares ticked up 2.2pc.
Watchdog closes M&C Saatchi accounting probe
M&C Saatchi has avoided a fine as it confirmed the City watchdog has closed its investigation into an accounting scandal at the beleaguered advertising agency.
The London-listed firm, which gained prominence through its campaigns for Margaret Thatcher, first uncovered accounting irregularities in 2019.
This prompted an investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority, while M&C Saatchi said it would take an £11.6m hit and issued two profit warnings.
However, it said the FCA had closed its investigation and no enforcement action would be taken.
M&C Saatchi also said it expected full-year profits to beat expectations after a strong end to the year. Shares jumped 5.5pc.
It comes as a welcome boost to the ad group, which is battling a takeover bid by one of its shareholders, while chief financial officer Mickey Kalifa this week announced he was leaving to join a rival.
FTSE tumbles at the open
The FTSE has dropped sharply at the open after new data showed retail sales slumped in December.
The blue-chip index crashed 1.1pc to 7,501 points.
Eddie Jordan pulls out of Playtech takeover race
Former Formula One chief Eddie Jordan has pulled out of the race to snap up gambling software firm Playtech.
JKO Play, the vehicle led by Mr Jordan and former Ladbrokes executive Keith O’Loughlin, had asked for more time to prepare a takeover bid. But today it announced it doesn’t intend to table an offer.
The move leaves Australian gambling giant Aristocrat as the sole bidder for London-listed Playtech, which was founded by billionaire Teddy Sagi.
Playtech said it continues to recommend that investors approve Aristrocrat’s bid, which values the firm at around £2.7bn.
However, it said a number of shareholders still hadn’t outlined their views on the takeover, leaving the company in the dark about how much support it has.
Inflation surge knocks consumer confidence
Meanwhile, separate data from GfK shows rising inflation is battering consumer confidence – a sign that there’s more woe ahead for retailers.
Its latest sentiment index sank to -19 – the lowest since January 2021 when Britain was in the grip of a third lockdown – as the UK’s “financial pulse weakened further”, says Joe Staton of GfK .
He warned that people “are ready to tighten their belts” with appetite for big-ticket purchases waning.
“Despite some good news about the easing of Covid restrictions, consumers are clearly bracing themselves for surging inflation, rising fuel bills and the prospect of interest rate rises.”
Food inflation – a key driver in the latest inflation surge – is also likely to remain high throughout the year after hitting a 10-year high of 4.5pc, Shore Capital analyst Clive Black added.
If oil prices continued to rise, the pound rose and global harvests underperformed, he said there “there could be further upward pressure”.
Financial markets are now signalling a higher inflation peak of 7.5pc, with the Consumer Prices Index staying close to 5pc – more than double the Bank of England’s 2pc target – until the end of the year.
More expert reaction: Retailers will be bitterly disappointed
Lynda Petherick, head of retail at Accenture, says retailers have missed out on one of their most important months of the year.
Off the back of a disappointing Autumn and a turbulent 2021, retailers will be feeling the January blues after sales unexpectedly dropped in the run up to Christmas. The rapid emergence of the omicron variant in December triggered a mass anxiety among shoppers, with the risk of missing out on Christmas plans outweighing the appeal of a trip to the shops.
Despite the drop potentially being attributed to sales having been brought forward into October and November as shoppers locked in purchases early, this will be scant consolation for retailers. They will be bitterly disappointed that they couldn’t capitalise on one of the most important months in the retail calendar.
January sales are typically an opportune moment to stimulate spending, however the challenges facing the sector show little sign of easing. Pressure from soaring living costs and rising inflation could see consumers forced tighten their belts even further in 2022.
This, combined with ongoing supply chain disruptions and a tight labour market, will be enough to keep retailers awake at night over the coming months. Businesses will have to ensure they’re making full use of the channels available to them to retain old and reach new customers in 2022.
Expert reaction: A very unhappy Christmas for retailers
Bethany Beckett, UK economist at Capital Economics, says the decline “may partly reflect earlier Christmas shopping by households amid fears of shortages and delays”.
But the far bigger factor will have been the government’s Plan B restrictions and rise in virus caution prompted by the omicron outbreak. That seems consistent with the 4.7pc month on month fall in fuel sales as more people stayed at home.
Online sales escaped the worst of the hit, which was in line with the pattern of a shift towards online retailing seen during previous episodes of tighter virus restrictions, but they still fell by 0.3pc month on month.
With encouraging signs that the Omicron outbreak may have turned a corner and the government’s Plan B restrictions due to be lifted next week, retail sales may recoup a bit of this fall in January and probably all of it in February and March.
That said, with the UK’s cost of living crisis looming, we expect a weakening in the consumer recovery to dampen retail sales further ahead. For the Bank of England, though, it’s about high inflation not weak activity. So we still think that interest rates will be raised to 0.5pc in early February.
What drove the fall in sales?
Digging down into the data, the numbers show December’s slump was driven mainly by non-food stores.
This suggests a lot of consumers had already done their Christmas shopping amid fears about empty shelves.
But the slump in fuel sales also highlights the impact of Plan B restrictions, as Brits reverted to working from home and social events were cancelled.
ONS: Plan B reverses November boost
Heather Bovill at the ONS says December’s work from home order was to blame for the fall in sales.
After strong pre-Christmas trading in November, retail sales fell across the board in December, with feedback from retailers suggesting omicron impacted on footfall.
As Plan B restrictions in England meant more people working from home, there was a notable fall for fuel sales.
However, despite the fall in December, retail sales are still stronger than before the pandemic, with over a quarter of sales now made online.
Plan B hits retail sales
We were expecting Plan B measures to dent retail sales in the crucial Christmas trading period, but the numbers are even worse than feared.
ONS stats show sales tumbled 3.7pc in December compared to the previous month. Economists had been expecting a decline of just 0.6pc.
Many Brits are thought to have done their Christmas shopping earlier last year amid fears about supply chain disruption and empty shelves. Tougher restrictions last month only exacerbated this.
To make things worse, there’s a grim outlook for the high street as well. Soaring inflation, rising interest rates and looming tax rises are set to spark a cost-of-living crisis, leaving consumers with less cash to splurge.
5 things to start your day
1) Britishvolt wins £1.8bn to build UK gigafactory Electric battery start-up secures £100m of taxpayer cash and £1.7bn from a developer to fund Northumberland facility
2) Jim Ratcliffe and Centrica back new hydrogen plant on the Humber Saltend site owner claims it will be able to cut emissions by about 1m tonnes a year
3) Top investor casts doubt on future of Unilever boss after aborted Glaxo bid Terry Smith brands the aborted £50bn proposal a ‘near-death experience’ in new attack
4) Peloton shares slide on production pause report Demand for its connected fitness gear has suffered a “significant reduction” amid rising competition and price sensitivity, says report
5) Michael Gove threatens developers with planning veto unless they create £4bn cladding fund Levelling Up Secretary says housebuilders need to fund compensation scheme for flat owners affected by the cladding crisis
What happened overnight
Markets fell in Asian trade Friday following another wave of losses in Wall Street as traders returned their focus to the Federal Reserve’s plans to ramp up interest rates.
Angst about the bank’s determination to fight surging inflation by removing its ultra-loose monetary policy is dealing a severe blow to the rally in global markets that ran virtually uninterrupted for almost two years, leaving most in the red at the start of 2022.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei lost 1.4pc, while Hong Kong’ Hang Seng Index was down 0.2 percent the day after a more than 3pc hike. Shanghai was down 0.4pc, and Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Wellington, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were also off.
Coming up today
- Corporate: Close Brothers, Ninety One (trading update)
- Economics: GfK consumer confidence (UK); consumer confidence (EU); retail sales (UK)


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- FAST TRACK MASCHINEN
- DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
Anniversary at the Equiplast 2017:
Successful collaboration with agent in Spain
Over 300 recycling machines sold in Spain makes it one of the most successful sales markets for the plastics recycling technology developed by EREMA. The Austrian manufacturer of plastics recycling systems and components has been successfully represented in Spain by Protecnic 1967 S.L. for over 30 years. "I would like to offer my warm congratulations to Protecnic on their 50th anniversary and also take this opportunity to thank them for the decades of reliable support. In Protecnic we have a regional partner at our side who unites competence and enthusiasm for plastics recycling," states Manfred Hackl, CEO at EREMA. Juan Cerdá, owner and general manager of Protecnic: "With EREMA technology we offer Spanish companies a product which, thanks to the leading quality, gives them a very broad spectrum of sales opportunities for the recyclates. It is with this certainty that we look forward to the continued collaboration."


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Receive all Cointelegraph news immediately in Telegram.
While trying to leverage technology for a public good, Citigroup is reaching out to some of the most prominent fintech players.
Amid India’s sudden currency reforms, cash is facing a global crackdown as governments move to take control over transactions, the paper in citizens’ pockets.
Citi’s new digital wallet will compete directly with PayPal, Apple Pay and others to provide online, in-app and in-store payment needs.
The WEF was dedicated to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and FinTech. The World’s financial and banking giants again shared their attitude to Bitcoin and Blockchain technology.
Former Secret Service agent Shaun Bridges plead guilty to stealing over US$800,000; a Goldman Sachs global investment research analyst praised blockchain technology, and more news
Greece finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, resigns after Greece votes 'No'; Mt. Gox Trustee, Nobuaki Kobayashi, extends deadline for filing claims to July 29 and more news
Banking giant Citigroup, has developed 3 blockchains and a test cryptocurrency dubbed 'Citicoin' to run across them.
CitiBank, JPMorgan Chase & Co, HSBC Holdings PLC and Bank of America Corp. are deeply involved in the bribes, kickbacks and laundering money schemes of some top FIFA officials and sports executives.
Israel-based GetGems mobile wallet and messenger app earned the title of the “most visionary social solution” for “instant payments across social platforms” in the Citi Mobile Challenge in Europe.
Leading global bank Citi has called on the government of the United Kingdom (UK) to adopt a digital form of legal tender to reduce the cost of moving money, increase consumer spending and add greater liquidity to the market.
Ahead of Switzerland’s gold referendum this weekend, Citibank has a released a report publicly criticizing both the metal and Bitcoin – with some content being so embarrassing it could be satire.
Uwe Cerron, Irvin Steve Cardenas, Juan Daniel Alvarado, and Daniel Doherty, a fourth student from another college, came together to become finalists in the Citi Mobile Challenge, a global competition that invited developers to reimagine digital banking and present solutions.
Bank of America, one of the world’s largest banks, is bemoaning that it will suffer a loss of US$232 million for the third quarter.
Bitcoin is a “wannabe” asset hindered by price volatility and security concerns, a recent report by Citi’s analysis project said.
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Canadian exports hit a record high in June, cutting the country's trade deficit to its lowest in 17 months, although US metals tariffs slashed shipments of steel, Statistics Canada said on Friday.
"The widening in the trade deficit in June, after three consecutive months of narrowing, suggests that some of the transitory factors that drove those trends are starting to fade", Barclays said in a note to clients on Friday.
Those boosts to the trade balance more than overcame declines in exports of steel and aluminum to the USA of 37 per cent 7 per cent respectively.
Shortly before the numbers were released, Beijing warned it was ready to impose new tariffs on $60 billion in American products, responding to Trump's plans to jack up the punitive duties on the next $200 billion in Chinese goods to be targeted.
Ray Lewis Inducted Into Pro Football Hall Of Fame
Speaking in front of a packed stadium, the 44-year-old went after the sportswriters who he blames for everything that took place. Near the end of his speech, Owens got the crowd involved.
"It's unclear, however, if the overall export surge can be sustained".
Unlike the overall data, the figures for steel and aluminum were not adjusted for seasonality.
Statscan noted that exports to the US of Canadian steel products subject to the new tariffs plunged 37 per cent in June, after having surged 40 per cent over the prior three months. The report raised expectations for a Bank of Canada rate increase in September to 39 per cent, from 32 per cent yesterday and 12 per cent a fortnight ago.
Canada's exports rose 4.1 per cent to $50.7 billion in June, surpassing for the first time the $50 billion mark, Statistics Canada reported Friday.
WHO warns there may be no vaccine option for new Ebola outbreak
In the latest outbreak, 26 suspected cases have been recorded with 20 fatalities in Mangina, a town 30km west of Beni. Meanwhile, Uganda has set up screening at the land border it shares with Congo and at its Entebbe worldwide airport.
The improvement also comes despite rising trade hostilities with the United States, by far Canada's biggest trading partner, which imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian steel and 10 per cent on aluminum at the beginning of June, while threatening to bring in levies against Canadian autos and parts.
National Bank of Canada economist Kyle Dahms suggested that US tariff threats may be temporarily fuelling USA demand for some Canadian goods. They were boosted by imports of consumer goods and crude oil. Exports of passenger cars and light trucks were up 5 per cent in the month.
Total exports rose 9.2 per cent in June compared to the same month a year ago.
A dip in auto exports and rising oil prices in June drove the increase in the gap between U.S. imports and exports, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Total imports were up 4.2 per cent compared with June 2017. There were decreases in imports of computers and telecommunications equipment. Higher shipments of soybeans helped bring the trade deficit in May to its lowest monthly level since late 2016 and, due to seasonal adjustments, provided an outsize boost to second-quarter gross domestic product.
British Airways owner logs doubling in profits
At current fuel prices and exchange rates, IAG still expects its operating profit for 2018 to show an increase year-on-year. IAG said two new A330-200s will be added to its fleet, bringing a total of seven aircraft in Paris and Barcelona next year.


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There's a new low-ball retailer in town and it goes by the name of Jet.com. The site founded by Marc Lore, former co-founder and CEO of Quidsi (Diapers.com, Soap.com, etc.), promises the lowest prices online. So far, according to new price comparison research, the site is doing just that.
Last week, Profitero did a price comparison of 16,028 exact match SKUs across seven categories (baby, beauty, electronics, grocery, household, office supplies and pet) and found Jet's prices were nine percent lower overall than Amazon and six percent below Walmart.
The amount of the price disparity varied by category. Jet was 12 percent cheaper than Amazon on pet supplies. The only category in which Jet came in second was grocery. There, Walmart's prices were two percent cheaper than the well-funded startup (backers include Goldman Sachs and Google).
"Jet is pricing aggressively at launch, especially on key household essentials such as baby, beauty, pet supplies, and household products," said Keith Anderson, VP strategy & insights at Profitero. "Price competition is at the center of Jet's strategy, and the price comparisons Jet includes on its own product pages are likely to intensify competition."
In an online discussion last week, industry insiders of the RetailWire BrainTrust considered Jet.com's chances.
“Jet only launched two days ago, officially, but it's already giving retail a run for its money,” said Arie Shpanya, CEO and co-founder of Wiser. “It seems like it will create a race to the bottom, but it still has a long way to go if it is going to beat trusted household names.”
"The challenge for Jet.com will be to get to the targeted number of customers to be able to generate the economies of scale to reflect it lower pricing model," wrote Professor Richard J. George of the Haub School of Business, Saint Joseph's University. "If Amazon and Walmart quickly and emphatically respond, the probability of success will decrease. ... I like the fact that new competitors are moving into this space. The question is, will Jet.com have staying power?"
Others questioned Jet.com’s ability to compete based on the assortment they see on the site thus far.
“I searched the items on my last Amazon orders and Jet did not carry over 50 percent of the items I got from Amazon,” said Professor Gene Detroyer. “Knowing that, why would I go to Jet? Online is about ease and convenience. I want a 100 percent chance you can fill my order. I will be satisfied but annoyed if you run at 95 percent. At 50 percent, I don't even go to your site.”
“My experience has been that Jet needs to grow the assortment,” said Nikki Baird, managing partner at RSR Research. “Amazon can claim ‘endless aisle’ with a large degree of credibility. I found Jet's assortment to be more like the contents of a physical Target store than an e-commerce juggernaut. And as they add assortment, their costs will grow — so I don't know if they can make those price gaps last.”
Still, some saw the attempt to unseat the giants of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail as, if nothing else, noble.
“Sounds like they'll be going the same route Amazon's been on for a long time. If they're wise and lucky, they'll do it in a much shorter time,” said Ian Percy, president of the Ian Percy Corporation. “I'm going to join, if only to express my admiration for the courage and cojones Marc Lore clearly has.”


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MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - People using a gas station in Midland are worried their credit and debit card information may be stolen.
A skimmer was found at one of the pumps at Kwik Check Convenience Store off Rankin Hwy.
The skimmer found is new technology, unlike traditional skimmers, these can be installed in as quick as 30 seconds and can store credit card information in just the swipe of a card.
"This person was actually able to break into the gas pump and place it inside and wire it up to an electrical source," said Public Information Officer, Sara Bustilloz.
This skimmer allowed information such as card holders name, credit or debit card number and even PIN number can be sent over instantly via Bluetooth to a digital device.
"You can usually jostle it or tell that something is out of place because it's placed over the card reader that is already there," said Bustilloz
Police said there are a few ways to ensure your information is safe.
"If you can pay with cash that's absolutely the safest way to go. If you have a debit card if you can use it as a credit card that's safe so you aren't using your pin number," said Bustilloz.
Skimmers have been found before, the last place they were seen was at several Frost Bank locations.
"These are a little bit different they're specifically for gas pumps and we're just starting to see them around the nation," said Bustilloz.
Residents who use the gas station frequently said they are worried.
"Yeah I usually pump here I just live down the street. I don't feel safe," said customer Fabian Garcia.
"I'm surprised about what you're telling me because I always come to these gas pumps," said customer Lucio Garza.
"I'll probably use cash from now on," said Garcia.
A company that services gas pumps is who found the skimmer, the company told Midland Police they will be on the lookout for any location they service.
Midland police said for whatever reason the skimmer that was used did not transmit the information but police still recommend calling your bank and MPD if you notice unusual activity on your account and purchased gas at Kwik Check Convenience Store off Rankin Hwy in the last 30-45 days.


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Sainsbury’s, like the other main supermarkets, is looking at promoting itself as a green supermarket. There is money to be made by any company selling its green credentials now. How much of this is pure marketing and how much is genuine concern for the environment is open to question. But, does it really matter? As long as steps are taken to reduce CO2 emissions does it really matter about the motives? I for one do not think so, what matters is the reduction in CO2.
With this in mind, Sainsbury’s have announced that by September 2008, 20% of their online deliveries will be made with electric vans. This is expected to save 45 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the first year alone. In addition, Sainsbury’s delivery drivers will take away the plastic carrier bags to be recycled. Hopefully they will expand the service to all their delivery vans eventually. After all, 20% of vans being electric can be perceived as a publicity exercise, because 80% are still powered by diesel and petrol.
To control the rising global temperature we need more than token gestures, we need real change.


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Can afforfable MOCAP help with VR adoption?
Photo: Sony Corporation
Motion capture (MOCAP) has been synonymous with big-budget productions such as Avatar and The Lord of The Rings since their respective releases. Sony hopes to change that.
Sony’s January 2023 release of Mocopi, a mobile MOCAP hardware, will allow users to attach sensors to their person and have an avatar mimic their movements on-screen. It will drastically reduce the barriers to entry for VR. Sony has alluded to some compatibility with VR headsets in the past, and now plans to release software development kits (SDKs) in December 2022 that will enable motion data to be imported into other ‘digital-world’ services.
Mocopi’s positioning revolves around competitive pricing and offering creators a low-cost entry point into MOCAP. Start-up developers, students, and even virtual YouTubers (VTubers) (creators using a digital avatar rather than the traditional camera), can see this as their chance to develop their skills and a ‘try before you buy’ of more expensive equipment if their budgets are restricted. The use of MOCAP capabilities also alleviates the need to hand-animate avatars and the necessity of wearing dedicated full-body MOCAP suits. The increasing affordability of top-tier hardware and substitutive alternatives born from the creator economy can narrow the gap between physical and digital reality.
MIDiA Research 2023-2030 global games industry forecasts Life post-peak
About this report This report discusses key drivers, inhibitors, and developments that will affect the games industry throughout the remainder of the decade. It offers investors, rightsholders, and distributors...Find out more…
MOCAP x VR
Pairing this hardware with VR capabilities incrementally could meaningfully boost VR adoption. Sony should look to bundle Mocopi with its PlayStation VR headset for a more interactive games experiences within the Sony VR catalogue (until other VR compatibility is confirmed). Currently, VR games experiences are limited to the motion of the headset and controllers in the virtual environment, where their movements adjust a user’s avatar accordingly. A full-body motion tracking capability for console players could prove a strong upselling and retention tool for Sony.
Further implementations could creep into esports. Esports attendees have some of the highest VR headset adoption rates among gamer segments. Including MOCAP experiences for attendees at esports events could serve as an incremental revenue channel. Virtex Stadium is one of the handful of companies exploring this opportunity. However, with the development of Unreal Engine 5 and increasingly accurate photo scanning capabilities, it could go further and create digital world replicas of the real-life venues. With the recent release of PlayStation Tournaments, it is likely that Sony have considered this as an opportunity for audience enrichment and with space for a spectator mode on-platform, it could take the shape of VR. Additionally, event organisers could provide VR-exclusive digital items for the game being played, selling physical and digital goods through outlets in this digital space.
VR offerings are still developing their use case for most consumers. Tying in MOCAP at an affordable level has potential to enrich experiences for creators, gamers, and games-video consumers alike. In doing so, it can boost the appeal of VR and ultimately its adoption rate in the mid-term future.


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With businesses trimming expenses more eagerly than a conservative politician cuts welfare programmes, one of the first workplace appliances to get abandoned (or “requisitioned” by the boss) is the company coffee machine. But if your boss knew what financial destruction could result from sleepy, inattentive, unmotivated employees, he’d probably upgrade the POS office coffee maker to a Nescafe Dolce Gusto in a heartbeat.
Coffee is an office “perk” that’s not only convenient and affordable, but acts as a morale and awareness booster for employees. In addition, coffee keeps your employees from losing their minds – I’m not kidding, coffee drinkers are more resistant to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. So before you remove the coffee maker for good, think about the disaster you might be inviting to take its place.
Here are three cautionary tales companies should keep in mind when considering office benefits that help people to keep alert.
Submarines Are Supposed to Sink Right?
What comes to mind when you think of Spain? Is it the running of the bulls? Do you think of matadors or ridiculously good football teams? I’m willing to bet that world-class navy doesn’t exactly come to mind. That’s what Spain wanted to change when it invested $3.45 billion into its advanced S-80 submarine programme.
As the first submarine neared completion, Spanish officials noticed that the submarine was too heavy. That’s a problem that can be fixed with the removal/replacement of some equipment with lighter materials right? Wrong! Officials said it was 70 tonnes too heavy – meaning it would sink to the depths faster than Lindsay Lohan’s career. Apparently, some overworked and probably fatigued engineer mistakenly put a decimal point in the wrong place – an error that was missed by the engineer’s supervisors as well.
Now Spain is paying a US Navy contractor $17.7 million to save the project, which includes lengthening the submarine by an extra 6 metres, delaying the launch by another two years. While mistakes were made at many levels, this case illustrates how an engineer with a $2 cup of coffee could have saved the Spanish government millions.
Dream of Losing Millions
Sleeping on the job always hurts a company, whether an employee is weary due to working late, all-night partying, or family obligations – costing the company profit from lost “productivity”. According to a study in 2007, fatigued employees cost US companies an average of $170 billion annually, mostly due to reduced employee performance.
One recent example occurred when a sleepy bank employee in Germany decided to doze off on his nice, comfy keyboard. While he was dreaming (maybe of becoming a millionaire?), he accidentally turned a simple $103 transfer into a monstrous $370 million mistake. The employee’s manager committed the same blunder as the Spanish engineer’s supervisor by not catching the error and was subsequently fired for letting the transaction go through.
While it’s not clear whether the bank had a coffee maker – it’s safe to say that if the employee had a strong cup of coffee, he wouldn’t have dozed off, his supervisor would still have his job, and his bank wouldn’t have suffered profit sapping damage to its brand.
A Meltdown of Epic Proportions
It’s a medical fact that fatigue and sleep deprivation negatively affect your cognitive and decision-making ability at work. The risk is especially pronounced in shift work, where a person’s normal day/night sleep cycle is disrupted. In these jobs, the availability of coffee was shown to increase awareness and reduce human error.
Unfortunately, sleep deprivation was the cause of one of the most expensive mistakes in history, the Chernobyl disaster. After working more than 13 hours, the engineers running the nuclear reactor were so fatigued from their shift that they made poor decisions, a contributing cause to the reactor’s meltdown. This preventable disaster caused thousands of radiation-related deaths in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, a 30 kilometre uninhabited “exclusion zone” that’s still highly radioactive, and a really bad horror movie.
This is the worst kind of mistake, because it leaves a condition akin to financial herpes – because you’re going to pay for it throughout your lifetime (or in this case, several lifetimes). In total, the catastrophe has cost Ukraine and Belarus about $600 billion since the incident in 1986, with Chernobyl-related expenses continuing to be included in the annual budgets of both nations. Coffee isn’t a magical cure that will turn a dead-tired worker into Superman, but it will boost awareness and help a person concentrate better. In this situation, it could have made all the difference in averting this disaster.
A coffee maker with decent coffee won’t bankrupt a company, no matter how bad things are financially (unless it’s Kopi Luwak we’re talking about). So before your boss takes away your right to free workplace coffee, challenge him with this article and say “If you want to avoid another Chernobyl, don’t take away our coffee!”
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We've been through the same thing here, now the pool fencing saga is playing out in New Zealand.
Following an investigation by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, a non-conforming pool fence sold nationally by Clark Rubber has been recalled.
Home and business owners thinking about installing a solar system can now make a more informed decision.
It seems SPASA Victoria's lobbying has paid off, with a recent announcement that retrospective pool barrier laws for the state have been abandoned.
A national US standard for heating pools and spas with solar systems has been developed.
Australia, meet DualSun. The commercial launch of Heatseeker DualSun into the Australian market is taking place across Australia at the 2018 SPASA Pool and Spa Expos and the "Zero Energy Pool" has been a huge hit for Supreme Heating so far.


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Apple currently only allows browsers on iOS to use its own WebKit engine. On macOS, the company is more lenient.
“[E]very browser on iOS, whether it be badged Chrome, Firefox, or Edge is actually just a branded skin of Safari, which lags behind [other browsers] because it has no competition on iOS,” said Stuart Langridge, one of OWA’s founders, in an interview with The Register.
The browser engine market has consolidated greatly in recent years, especially following Microsoft’s decision to ditch its EdgeHTML engine and join all the Chromium-based browsers in using Google’s Blink.
Around 70 percent of browsers are Chromium-based (e.g. Chrome, Edge, Opera) and therefore use Blink. Safari, the second most popular browser with around 20 percent marketshare, uses WebKit.
Mozilla-developed engine Gecko, used by its Firefox browser, is about the only other notable engine. However, with Firefox having just around 5 percent marketshare, it’s very much the underdog.
OWA claims that “Apple’s ban of third-party browsers on iOS is deeply anti-competitive, starves the Safari/WebKit team of funding, and has stalled innovation for the past 10 years and prevented Web Apps from taking off on mobile.”
Part of OWA’s ambition is for platform holders to enable deep system integration so that web apps “become just apps”.
It’s another headache for Apple which continues to face claims of its practices being anti-competitive. Regulators around the world have launched investigations to determine whether that’s the case, but most have focused on the App Store.
Part of Apple’s defense of its “walled garden” is that it increases security. OWA disagrees.
“Over Christmas, there was a huge bug in something called IndexedDB,” said another of OWA’s founders, Bruce Lawson, to The Register. “That allowed any arbitrary website to see other websites you visited.”
“That remained unpatched by Apple for 57 days. So, for 57 days, every iOS user who used any web browser on iOS – because it was using WebKit – was leaking data left, right, and center. If Apple actually did fix security errors fast, that would be a plausible defense, but they don’t.”
OWA calls on supporters to contact their regulators/legislators/representatives to galvanise support for change in your jurisdiction.
Looking to revamp your digital transformation strategy? Learn more about Digital Transformation Week taking place on 11-12 May 2022 and discover key strategies for making your digital efforts a success.
Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.


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The average person in India uses over 11 kilograms of plastic every year. Most of the waste from this consumption finds its way into the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.
Instead of allowing more plastic to enter these waterways, anglers in the area are protecting marine life by turning something old into a useful new product.
Fishers are now removing plastic from the water to turn that waste into usable products and a paycheck. Over 34,000 kilometers of plastic roads exist in India. Even kilometer uses the equivalent of 1 million plastic bags.
It’s not just the trash that receives more attention in recycling programs. Anglers are also turning their discarded nets into usable products like surfboards.
Almost 10% of Ocean Plastic Waste Are Fishing Nets.
The broken nylon fishing nets in the world’s oceans create numerous problems for marine life and fishermen. They get caught in propellers, consumed by fish, and potentially release toxins into the water.
Anglers can turn their plastic collections from fishing expeditions into legitimate income. The items can become various parts of a surfboard, allowing the original unwanted items to return to the water in healthier ways.
This idea creates employment opportunities for those not in the fishing industry for an extra economic boost. Workers need to separate and process the materials before they can get repurposed into other items.
Several local communities in India are no longer relying on charity because of this project. They have sustainable livelihoods that come directly from efforts to restore our oceans.


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For Immediate Release June 10th, 2016
Contact: Carrie Hamblen, CEO/President
Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce
LOCAL BUSINESSES SUPPORT WILDERNESS DESIGNATION WITHIN ORGAN MOUNTAINS-DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT
LAS CRUCES— A united voice of roughly 60 local businesses support Friday by New Mexico Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, giving greater protections to eight wilderness areas within the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks (OMDP) National Monument. The businesses range from restaurants and grocery stores to body shops and beauty salons. All have a financial stake in Doña Ana County being a place people where people choose visit and live.
The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Conservation Act, would give a higher level of protection to special areas already located within the monument. Former Senator Jeff Bingaman first introduced legislation in 2009 that would provide these same safeguards for the wilderness areas in Doña Ana County.
There are eight wilderness study areas and two citizen proposed wilderness areas in the Act that are located in the heart of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. They have incredible habitat, vibrant plant and animal populations, and are essential to healthy watersheds. Protecting them creates new ways to share the natural and cultural treasures of the area.
Carrie Hamblen, CEO/President of the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce, says having the areas within the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument designated as wilderness will enhance the tourism appeal for visitors to Las Cruces.
“Permanent protections for these special places can help continue to boost our economy and help create jobs,” Hamben said. She noted that since President Obama designated Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks as a National Monument in 2014, Las Cruces has seen national recognition. “Las Cruces has been featured in several reports, hosted multiple conferences, and recognized in publications like Lonely Planet, largely because of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.”
The support from local businesses for the proposed wilderness areas reinforces the positive impact that protecting our public spaces can have on job creation, economic development, and tourism in Las Cruces.
To see the business support letter to Senator Udall and Senator Heinrich, click on the link below:


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Apple has launched its new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models, upgrading some features from the current iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models.
t has unveiled four updated devices with largely the same screen sizes and design as the current iPhone 12 products — a 5.4-inch ‘mini’, a 6.1-inch standard, a 6.1-inch ‘Pro’ and a 6.7-inch ‘Pro Max’.
The biggest upgrade is on the ‘Pro’ model, which now comes with a higher screen ‘refresh rate’ of 120hz for smoother scrolling.
The unveiling came as part of Apple’s 2021 virtual event which was streamed worldwide on Tuesday evening.
Apple CEO Tim Cook showed off the new devices, with all of the models coming with more storage (starting at 128GB) than previous versions of the smartphone.
iPhone 13 release date and price:
Pre-orders for the new phone will start on Friday September 17 while September 24 is the iPhone 13 series release date.
The iPhone 13 itself will start at £779 for 128gb of storage with the iPhone Mini starting at £679 for the same storage.
The iPhone 13 Pro meanwhile starts at £949 with 128gb of storage, with the iPhone 13 Pro Max options beginning at £1,049.
The iPhone 13 Pro also now comes with a maximum storage capacity of 1,000GB, while the 13 and 13 mini have a top storage capacity of 512GB.
All of the new phones also feature Apple’s latest phone chip, the A15 Bionic.
Battery life is improved in the basic 13 (by 2.5 hours) and 13 mini (by 1.5 hours) models, according to Apple.
Apple has put a new camera sensor under the hood of the new phones, which allows 47pc more light in for low-light shooting. It has also bumped up the optical zoom lens on the iPhone 13 Pro from 2.5x to 3x. A new macro photography mode has also been added to the iPhone 13 Pro models.
Screen brightness has been dialled up on all of the new handsets.
There’s a new pink iPhone 13 model, while the iPhone 13 Pro gets a new blue colour.
There are five new colors in total, also including Midnight, Starlight and Product Red.
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max handsets come in graphite, gold, silver or a sierra blue.
In terms of the improved battery life, Apple said the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro will both offer up to 1.5 hours extra life while the iPhone 13 and iPhone Pro Max will each see up to 2.5 hours additional battery life.
What else was unveiled:
An updated version of the iPad and a new iPad mini were also announced alongside the Apple Watch Series 7, which has been made more durable and dust resistant and has a larger screen.
The 8.3-inch iPad mini now comes with smaller bezels, more rounded corners, upgraded cameras on the front and back, Apple’s Liquid retina display, USB-C support, magnetic support for Apple Pencil, an updated speaker system and new colors, such as pink and purple.
The larger 10.2-inch iPad features a powerful A13 chip with 20% faster performance than the previous model.


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HP and Verizon Wireless are employing their respective technologies and interactive features to leverage their sponsorships of next week’s Boston Marathon.
The companies have teamed to provide updates on participants as they pass designated sites along the marathon route and at the finish line. The system, which uses HP hardware and Verizon’s wireless data network, lets runners register six mobile numbers or email addresses to receive the alerts, which are delivered when the runner passes four checkpoints on the course.
The sponsorship functionality will also extend to the Web, where users can visit www.bostonmarathon.org to find up-to-date participant locations by entering a runner’s name or bib number. HP employees will be on hand at the race site with wireless-enabled iPAQs to check a runner’s location for in-person spectators.
The email and wireless alerts will not carry any branding, but the Web site results page will include sponsor logos, as will other areas of the marathon’s Web site. HP expects to deliver an estimated seven million page views over six-hour time span of the race.
Such sponsored alerts have become common at sporting events like marathons. IBM provides similar technology and alerts in conjunction with its sponsorship of the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
HP has been the official technology sponsor of the Boston Marathon for 11 consecutive years. The company specially designed the Athlete Search System for the race five years ago, and has been adding technology and features to it each year. Verizon Wireless took over the wireless sponsorship of the race from Nextel in 2004.
Race participants attach a computer chip to their shoes or wheelchairs that transmits their location as they cross stationary sensor mats at regular checkpoints. Over half of the registered field is expected to participate in athlete alerts, with more than 200,000 alerts likely to be sent.
Despite the fact that it faces growing competition from Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, Google-owned YouTube is still one of the most popular ... read more
Amazon prides itself on being the most “customer-centric” company in the world, but according to investigative journalism non-profit ProPublica, Amazon’s algorithms are often anything but ... read more


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For many, there’s nothing like browsing a bookstore, a timeless escapade filled with faraway places at your fingertips — which is why having that opportunity for the first time in five months at Emmaus’ Let’s Play Books Bookstore is such a beacon of light in the darkness.
The bookstore is opening its doors again on Saturday for appointment shopping after totally restructuring the inside of the store. Like most other small businesses, Let’s Play Books closed in March as the coronavirus hit, moving to a strictly online and curbside pick-up methodology (those options will still be available now).
Instead of its regular seven rooms filled with stocked shelves, the new layout has condensed the store down to four rooms, two on the main floor and two upstairs, to better facilitate the flow of customers, owner Kirsten Hess said.
Though, at least initially, there won’t be many customers in the building. Appointments will be limited to one family or small group of people for a half-hour each with a window of buffer time on each side — essentially, one group per hour. Hess said that eventually two or three groups will be allowed in at a time, but it’s safer to start with one and go forward from there.
Appointments can be made on Let’s Play Books’ website. Currently, appointments can be scheduled a week in advance. While this weekend is booked up — no pun intended — there are open slots from Wednesday to Sunday.
The call-in shopping and pick-up methods were actually going well for the beloved bookstore, well enough that Hess considered waiting even longer to open. “But our amazing customer community wants to come,” she said, “and we want to be here for them. So we’re going to try it.”
Hess noted that a subsection of that community was full of parents who had decided to have their children do school remotely for the upcoming school year, and that resulted in Hess turning the third-floor event space into a makeshift classroom that people can rent.
Much of how the new version of Let’s Play Books was determined was from a survey that Hess sent out to the community members. “We got over 350 responses,” she said. “I was blown away. I expected about 100.”
One of those survey questions was how members would feel if the bookstore moved out of their current digs and into a bigger location. Hess said that Let’s Play Books has never really fit in its location, and with the current emphasis on social distancing and limited in-store customers, operating this way just isn’t sustainable.
But as the store opens up this weekend, it’ll be the start of an experimental, transitional phase that Hess described as “connector between pre-COVID and post-COVID.” She’s expecting it to last at least until 2021. Online events and fundraisers will be a big part of the store’s revenue. National Independent Bookstore Day, which is usually held in April, is now on Aug. 29, and Let’s Play Books will turn it into a two-day event with online sales and shortened in-store appointments to facilitate more people in and out.
Hess said she’s going with the flow for now. She knows what the bookstore can and can’t handle, so for now, she’ll focus on the community that’s kept the store afloat.
“We’re really excited that we’re still here,” she said. “It’s because people have chosen to shop here.”
Connor Lagore may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Pantries in southwest Virginia will take whatever they can get to stock bare shelves. Some also offer help with health care and job training.
Similar to "little free library" boxes that are filled with free books, these "blessing boxes" are stocked with food and toiletries for people in need to take.
Food banks are increasingly saying no junk food donations. Some schools are sending healthier donations by salvaging uneaten foods in cafeterias.
We follow donated produce from the supermarket to the soup kitchen. The competitive world of making gingerbread houses. Scientists are still stumped by PED.
Food pantries can't rely on donations from people like Phil Christenson, because gardeners never know how much harvest will come up.
The government's first ever national target to reduce food waste will encourage farmers to donate more of their imperfect produce to the hungry.
Planning meals at the Community Kitchen of Monroe County takes creativity and adaptability. Chefs competing in the 'Chef's Challenge' should take note!
We follow 500 hens from the pastures of Schacht Farm to the warehouse of the Hoosier Hills Food Bank.
Just like quality food, quality information costs money!


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With POTRAZ releasing their 4th quarter Telecommunications sector report a few days ago, there’s always a lot to unpack in these reports and one of the questions we’ve had is how Zimbabweans have taken the constant hikes in pricing of mobile data over the last 6-7 months.
Well, the data is here now and it seems Zimbabweans have been using mobile internet much less than before. Mobile data usage dropped by a whopping 33.1% during the 4th quarter – to record 6,479.5TB from 9,684.5TB.
Econet and NetOne were the biggest losers in this regard with their mobile subscribers using 32.5% and 39.5% less data respectively.
Lenovo ThinkPad T460
ACER Aspire 3
Dell Latitude E5470
Apple Airpods pro
A huge drop but is it really surprising?
POTRAZ attributes the plunge in mobile data use to an increase in both out-of-bundle and in-bundle browsing tariffs;
The decline in mobile internet and data usage is attributable to the increase in out of bundle tariffs; operators also reviewed the in-bundle rates for a number of mobile internet and data promotions.POTRAZ Q4 Report
The fact that Zimbabweans didn’t have electricity for 16-18 hours every day during this period is no doubt another reason why data usage plummeted.
Good news for Telecel
Telecel is usually in bad situations much more often than Econet and NetOne but their data usage only dropped by 2%. Granted this is a reflection of the fact that the MNO already had far lower data usage but it’s also fair to note that Telecel hasn’t been aggressively changing data pricing like NetOne and Econet.
Maybe because they don’t have as much leverage as the other two networks but ultimately their customer base has benefited thus far.
Will this change?
Ultimately, the combination of a spiralling economy, low incomes and intense power challenges has made mobile data less accessible to millions of Zimbabwe.


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BLACKPINK's Rose and Jennie recently treated themselves to a fun karaoke night at a Korean restaurant in the heart of Paris.
The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this May ’s brand reputation rankings for all idol groups!
“The Good Bad Mother” remains as popular as ever!
Kim Tae Ri and her agency have shared apologies for the actress’s recent request to fans.
SM Entertainment has announced plans for their new upcoming groups.
BTS’s V, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, and Park Bo Gum reunited in France!
SBS MTV's 'The Show' is back for its weekly show featuring performances by your favorite artists.
aespa has officially joined the “double-million seller” club!
The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this May ’s brand reputation rankings for individual girl group members!
The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for individual boy group members!
Model and actor Julien Kang is in a relationship with fitness YouTuber JJ!
NewJeans member Danielle turned heads at the premiere of the live-action remake of 'The Little Mermaid.'
The agencies of V and Jennie have briefly responded regarding a recent video allegedly of the two stars on a date.
The world of K-pop is abuzz with speculation as recent videos posted by French photographer Amar Taoualit allegedly show BTS's V and BLACKPINK's Jennie taking a romantic stroll along the River Seine in Paris. The videos, which allegedly capture the two K-pop stars holding hands, have fueled that this is confirmation that the two are dating.
BLACKPINK’s Rosé recently posed for Elle Korea!
“The Glory” star Lim Ji Yeon might be starring in a new historical drama as the female lead!
The producers of Netflix’s new original series “Black Knight” have responded to allegations of plagiarism.
'Doctor Cha' continues to captivate audiences, shattering the JTBC viewership record set by 'Itaewon Class.'
JTBC’s “Doctor Cha” reclaimed the title of most buzzworthy drama of the week!
The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for girl groups!
tvN’s “Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938” has shared an intriguing sneak peek of its upcoming third episode!
The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for male idol groups!


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Microsoft has just unveiled Windows 11, showing off a redesigned operating system that’s more modern, better connected and better suited to the modern world – but there was a surprise addition, integrated Android apps.
That’s right, Panos Panay, chief product officer at Microsoft, confirmed that you’d be able to install Android apps directly on Windows 11, so you’ll be able to use a full range of apps from your phone, on your desktop.
The catch is that these apps are going to come from the Amazon Appstore. While that will give a full range of apps, including some premium apps, it’s not quite as good as offering direct access to the Google Play store. Anyone who has used a Fire tablet alongside an Android phone will know that there’s a difference and we guess that this is because Google would rather support ChromeOS than Windows.
The benefit it will bring to Windows is that you’ll be able to access a range of apps rather than, perhaps, relying on a web version – but it also means that some services won’t have to develop Windows apps, they can just offer the Android version instead.
Microsoft says that it is using Intel Bridge technology to make sure you have a great experience with Android apps seamlessly integrating into the Microsoft Store, so you’ll get all the details you’d expect when you’re browsing for apps.
You’ll be able to run the apps alongside Windows apps, so you can open up TikTok alongside that Excel spreadsheet you’re grinding through, as well as being able to take advantage of Windows 11’s Snap features to choose how you lay things out.
While that might not be of huge interest to desktop users, for those using Windows on a tablet, it might help boost the experience away from productivity, allowing access to a lot more casual apps and experiences.


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After four long years, Light + Building will open its doors at the Frankfurt Messe, from 2-6 October 2022. Yasmin Hashmi previews what will be
Whether it’s fair or not, the KNX systems integrator is always considered the middleperson when it comes to faults. Simon Buddle explains the value of
When the opportunity arose to purchase one of only two existing ex-naval barges, Luke Newland saw it as a chance to showcase his company’s most
Join the KNX Association at Light + Building 2022 for the Latest Developments, Innovations and Products
With a particularly strong presence at this year’s Light + Building, KNX will celebrate the return of the world’s most important trade fair for home
An unforgettable online celebration with proud winners from around the world Day by day, ambitious, creative and innovative smart home and building projects are realised
The KNX Multistation combines input and output channels in one compact device. Using logic functions, inter-device connections to the building control system are possible. In
When it comes to commercial properties, today’s building management systems (BMS) deliver actionable insights that can help building owners and operators make better business decisions.


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HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 7, 2012) - Sixty Nova Scotia farms will swing open their gates to the public on Sunday, September 16, for Open Farm Day.
"Open Farm Day provides the public with an opportunity to meet local farmers, see life on the farm, and find out how local food is produced," said federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "It's a great way for families to learn how Canadian farmers produce some of the highest-quality food in the world."
The agriculture industry plays an important role in creating jobs and keeping the economy strong. Canada is the world's fifth-largest exporter of agriculture and food products, with exports hitting an all-time high of more than $40 billion in 2011.
"Nova Scotia's farmers produce top-quality food for our dinner tables and contribute significantly to the provincial economy," said Agriculture Minister John MacDonell.
"I encourage Nova Scotians to bring their families to a nearby farm, meet our knowledgeable farmers, and learn from the demonstrations and activities they provide."
The agriculture and food industry is a leading industry in Nova Scotia with about 3900 farms employing roughly 5200 people. In 2011, the industry generated $539.7 million in farm cash receipts and $229.9 million in international exports.
A total of 125 farms in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick are participating in this year's Open Farm Day.
The event is being supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sobeys Inc., provincial governments, and agriculture awareness committees in the Maritimes.
"Open Farm Day is a backstage pass for consumers to see firsthand the hard work, skill, and dedication of our farmers," said Beth Densmore, President of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. "It helps reconnect people to where their food is coming from."
A list of Open Farm Day locations in Nova Scotia is available at: www.meetyourfarmer.ca/openfarmday


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India only just gave Apple the green light hours ago to set up stores inside its borders, but Amazon has been operating there for quite some time. And while the eCommerce giant is known for a hundred things (good and bad), waiting for the dust to settle has never been its modus operandi.
The Economic Times is reporting that Amazon and Vodafone India have entered into a partnership that the former hopes will help Indian consumers become more familiar with the Amazon brand in offline formats. As part of the deal, Amazon will set up kiosks containing Amazon-sold smartphones in 40 store fronts owned and operated by Vodafone, as well as Amazon-trained customer service associates that will show off the devices and let consumers physically hold devices and build up confidence in the brand before buying online.
Arun Srinivasan, category leader of consumer electronics at Amazon India, told The Economic Times that the partnership with Vodafone is almost exclusively aimed at educating Indian consumers about the convenience and choice that comes with switching to online shopping.
"With an aim to acquire incremental set of customers who are not yet shopping online, we are focusing on providing them with opportunities to experience the benefits of shopping on Amazon.in and build trust in the brand," Srinivasan said in an emailed statement.
If Amazon sees some traction with its in-store online outreach program, it might come back to Vodafone with an even more aggressive plan. The telecom provider currently runs about 10,000 store fronts of various sizes within India, and if the 40-store pilot goes off without a hitch, it would be a classic Amazon move to expand across the country as rapidly as possible.


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Thai jewellery companies will have an opportunity
to display their wares at the upcoming Baselworld Watch &
Jewelry Show. Thailand, which has been participating in Baselworld
as a country pavilion since 2005, will have a strong presence
at this year's event, to be held March 19-26, 2015 in Basel, Switzerland.
Visitors from the specialist retail and wholesale trade make their
way to Basel from all over the world to discover the current trends
and view the latest creations from the watch and jewellery sectors.
The presentation staged at Baselworld provides an opportunity
to experience world at the topmost level.
Coming hard on the heels of the February Bangkok
Gems & Jewelry Fair, the Baselworld Show gives Thai companies
still another world-class forum, in the first quarter of the yearm
to present the very best of Thai jewels to the topmost echelon
of the international gem and jewellery industry.
Some Thai industries may remain competitive, but
other nations have been doing better in manufacturing. Fot this
reason, Thai industrialists need to increase their efforts toward
adding value to their products, making them more desirable; or
they may have to consider shifting production to offshore locales
to cut costs. Jewellery is a major Thai export and the US is a
major Thai export market, so it should be good news for Thai exports
that Americans have been spending more money on jewellery recently
as the US economy recovers and especially on gold jewellery.
Americans spent $4.8 billion buying jewellery for
loved ones this Valentine's Day, the most in many years. Valentine's
Day is the biggest US holiday for giving jewellery after Christmas,
with more than 8% of the year's sales occurring during February.
About 21% of respondents in a recent survey in the US said they
planned to buy jewellery for this Valentine's Day on February
14, up from 19% in 2014 and the most for many years. US jewellery
demand in the three months ended December 31 was the strongest
fourth quarter since 2009. With the declining US unemployment
rate, consumers usedthe benefits of cheaper fuel and a plunge
in gold prices to push 2014 demand for jewellery made from gold
to a five-year high. Jewellery sales are benefiting from the drop
in gold prices over the last couple of years and increasing confidence
in the economy. People are buying what they had defered over the
past few years.
While Thailand is the Southeast Asian gems and jewellery
hub, Bangkok is not the reginal hub for jewellery retail shopping.
International visitors do not come to Bangkok to buy the full
range of jewellery - brand name lines, diamonds, watches. In fact,
brand name items are rarely seen in Bangkok. This is because of
very high import duties imposed on finished jewellery, diamonds
and watches entering Thailand. The only jewels available in Bangkok
at reasonable retail prices are Thai-made jewellery.
To made Bangkok are international full-service jewellery
shopping hub, it is necessary to greatly reduce the import duties
on jewellery items coming into Thailand. This would encourage
Bangkok to open up to the world-famous brand name lines, which
could then be retailed at prices comparable to Hong Kong and Singapore.
The government's loss of import duty revenue could readily be
made up by judicious application of other taxes on the jewellery
sector, such as VAT and turnover taxes.